Bernard Hill, actor of “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings,” has passed away at the age of 79, as confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson.
Native of Blackley and a graduate of the Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama, Hill achieved success in 1980 with the BBC TV play “The Black Stuff,” which was so well-received that it led to a sequel miniseries, “Boys From the Blackstuff,” two years later.
In “Blackstuff,” Hill portrays Yosser Hughes, a lower-class Liverpool resident whose life falls apart throughout the series with little assistance from England’s deteriorating social safety net. Hill’s performance was notable for the melancholy catchphrase “gizza job,” which he would frequently use as he attempted and failed to secure employment. This line became popular in protests against Margaret Thatcher’s government in the 1980s.
Hill's early film role was a minor part in the 1982 Best Picture winner “Gandhi,” but his breakthrough came two years later in Roger Donaldson’s “The Bounty,” where he starred alongside Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Throughout the following decade, most of Hill’s work was in television, notably as John Lennon in the biopic TV series “A Journey in the Life.” However, in 1997, Hill landed one of his two major film roles in James Cameron’s “Titanic,” portraying the doomed ship’s captain Edward Smith, who perished alongside approximately 1,500 passengers in the notorious maritime disaster.
Five years later, Hill played Théoden, King of Rohan, in “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.” Hill won over Tolkien fans as an aging king filled with uncertainty about his ability to protect his people from Sauron's merciless forces, yet valiantly sacrifices himself on the battlefield.
Following “LOTR,” Hill took on roles including a voice part in the 2012 Laika animated film “ParaNorman” and as Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk in the 2015 BBC series “Wolf Hall” about the life of Oliver Cromwell. His last role was in season 2 of the BBC police drama “The Responder” starring Martin Freeman, which is set to premiere this week.
Hill is survived by his wife, Marianna, and their son, Gabriel.